Smokey Lentil & Mushroom Sheppard's Pie

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenSmokey Lentil & Mushroom Sheppard's Pie

Skill Level	Intermediate

Preparation Time	15 minutes	Total Time	45 minutes
Servings	8	Cost Per Serving	$1.45

1 cup	Dried French Lentils
1 cup	Vegetable or Chicken Stock
2 cups	Field Mushrooms (any of your favorites: shiitake, cremini, porcini, oyster…)
3	Parsnips, medium dice
3	Carrots, medium dice
3 stalks	Celery, medium dice
1	Medium Onion, medium dice
1	Red Bell Pepper, medium dice
1 cup	Canned or fresh tomatoes, medium dice
2	Medium Sweet Potatoes
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
1 tbsp	Rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp	Sage, finely chopped
2	Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or 2 tsp chipotle powder for a milder option)
2 tbsp	Olive Oil
To taste	Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
Cut sweet potatoes in half. Season with about 1 tsp of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
In a heavy sauce pot, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Add onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers or chipotle powder. Sauté until lightly caramelized. About 5 minutes.
Add carrots, celery, parsnips and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook through for about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, stock, mushrooms, lentils, rosemary and sage. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add stew into a baking dish and spread sweet potato over top.
Season with a little more salt and pepper and about 1 tsp of olive oil. Return to oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for smokey lentil and mushroom sheppard's pie

One cup of cooked lentils provides almost 7 mg of iron. For men and for women who have gone through menopause this is almost all the iron you need in a day! (Women who are still menstruating need more than double the amount of iron as men and post-menopausal women).
Why do we need iron? Iron plays an important role in carrying oxygen to the cells. That’s why feeling tired is usually the first symptom people notice when they are low in iron. Iron is also needed for healthy cell growth and healing.
Iron from plant foods is called non-heme iron. Non-heme iron is not as easily absorbed by the body as heme iron, a form of iron found in animal products. Eating a bit of heme iron from turkey, chicken or seafood will help you absorb more of the non-heme iron in plants. Choosing foods rich in vitamin C also helps your body absorb non-heme iron.